Current deprecations

This section lists all current deprecations in Neo4j server features, ordered alphabetically, including replacements where applicable. Deprecated features are only removed immediately after a long-term support (LTS) release.

For deprecations in Cypher language, see Cypher manual → Deprecations, additions, and compatibility.

Authentication and authorization

Neo4j 5.23

The following procedures require the SERVER MANAGEMENT privilege:

  • dbms.cluster.cordonServer()

  • dbms.cluster.setAutomaticallyEnableFreeServers()

  • dbms.cluster.uncordonServer()

Running the procedures with an admin privilege is deprecated.

CREATE DATABASE command

Neo4j 2025.06

In Cypher 25, existingData option is deprecated and has no effect, while the options seedCredentials and existingDataSeedInstance have been removed.

Neo4j 5.26
  • existingDataSeedInstance option is deprecated. It is replaced by existingDataSeedServer.

  • seedCredentials option is deprecated. It is recommended to use the CloudSeedProvider seed provider, which does not require this configuration when seeding from cloud storage. For more information see CloudSeedProvider.

Cluster

2025.05

The dbms.routing.load_balancing.plugin=server_policies configuration setting is deprecated. See Load balancing framework for more information.

Configuration settings

See all deprecated configuration settings
Deprecated in version Name Community Edition Enterprise Edition Replacement

2025.05

dbms.routing.load_balancing.plugin

5.19

dbms.security.oidc.<provider>.client_id Dynamic

5.7

server.db.query_cache_size

Replaced by server.memory.query_cache.per_db_cache_num_entries.

5.0

dbms.security.oidc.<provider>.auth_params Dynamic

Docker base images

Neo4j 2026.05

The following base images are not supported: debian:bullseye-slim, redhat/ubi9-minimal:latest. For details, see Getting started with Neo4j in Docker.

HTTP API

Neo4j 5.26

The transactional HTTP API is deprecated and replaced by the HTTP Query API, which is enabled by default in all Neo4j deployments starting with Neo4j 5.26. To enable it in earlier versions, add QUERY_API_ENDPOINTS to the configuration setting server.http_enabled_modules. For more information about the Query API, see Query API documentation.

Neo4j 5.4

raftCommandsPerSecond status endpoint field is deprecated. It is recommended to use the metric <prefix>.cluster.raft.commit_index on each server and look for divergence.

Java API

Neo4j 5.26

The server-side Notification API and the getNotifications() method of the Result Core API are deprecated.

Neo4j Helm charts

Neo4j 5.26

The MinIO (an AWS S3-compatible object storage API) support for Non-TLS/SSL endpoints in the neo4j/neo4j-admin Helm charts is deprecated and replaced by s3Endpoint. See Backup and restore for more information.

Neo4j error codes messages

Neo4j 2025.04

Using the error messages programmatically is deprecated. Because error messages might change in a future release, please parse or use GQLSTATUS error codes in your application code. For details, see Status Codes for Errors & Notifications → List of GQLSTATUS error codes.

Logging

Neo4j 2025.05

The failureReason column of the JSON format query log is deprecated in favor of the errorInfo column. For details, refer to Logging → JSON format log entries for log type query.

Metrics

See all deprecated metrics
Deprecated in version Name Comment

2026.07

<prefix>.cluster.raft.in_flight_cache.max_bytes

The metric will be removed after the next LTS.

<prefix>.cluster.raft.in_flight_cache.max_elements

The metric will be removed after the next LTS.

2025.02

<prefix>.cluster.raft.tx_retries

The metric will be removed in a future release.

5.15

<prefix>.ids_in_use.relationship_type

<prefix>.ids_in_use.property

<prefix>.ids_in_use.relationship

If you want to have a rough metric of how big your graph is, use <prefix>.neo4j.count.relationship instead.

<prefix>.ids_in_use.node

If you want to have a rough metric of how big your graph is, use <prefix>.neo4j.count.node instead.

Neo4j-admin tool

See all deprecated commands
Deprecated in version Name Community Edition Enterprise Edition Replacement

2025.01

neo4-admin database aggregate-backup

Replaced by neo4j-admin backup aggregate

See all deprecated command options
Deprecated in version Command Option Replacement

2025.04

neo4-admin database migrate

--page-cache

Replaced by the --max-off-heap-memory option.

Operating systems

Neo4j 2026.05

This release deprecates support for the following distributions:

  • Ubuntu Server 22.04

  • macOS 15 Sequoia

  • CentOS Stream 9

  • Windows Server 2022

    These operating system versions will continue to be supported through the next LTS release in 2026, but new releases after 2026 LTS will no longer support them. It is recommended to upgrade to a supported OS version before the next LTS release.

Neo4j 2026.01

This release deprecates support for the following:

  • CentOS Stream 8.x.
    This operating system will continue to be supported along with the next LTS release in 2026, but new releases after the 2026 LTS will no longer support this platform. It is recommended to upgrade to a supported OS version before the next LTS release.

  • System V (SysV) init scripts in Neo4j Linux distributions.
    The SysV init scripts are located in /etc/rc.d/init.d/ or /etc/init.d. All currently supported Linux distributions use systemd by default, not SysV init scripts.

Neo4j 2025.10

This release deprecates support for the following distributions:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.x

  • Debian 11.x

  • Windows Server 2022

  • macOS 13 Ventura

  • macOS 14 Sonoma

    These operating systems will continue to be supported along with the next LTS release in 2026, but new releases after the 2026 LTS will no longer support these platforms. It is recommended to upgrade to a supported OS version before the next LTS release.

Procedures

See all deprecated procedures
Deprecated in version Name Community Edition Enterprise Edition Replacement

2026.04, Cypher 25

db.index.vector.queryNodes()

Replaced by Cypher clause SEARCH.

db.index.vector.queryRelationships()

Replaced by Cypher clause SEARCH.

2025.04

dbms.cluster.recreateDatabase()

Replaced by dbms.recreateDatabase().

2025.01

dbms.quarantineDatabase() Admin Only

Removed in Cypher 25 Replaced by dbms.unquarantineDatabase().

5.26

db.index.vector.createNodeIndex()

Removed in Cypher 25 Replaced by the Cypher command CREATE VECTOR INDEX. For more information, see the Cypher Manual → Create a vector index.

5.23

dbms.cluster.uncordonServer()

Removed in Cypher 25 Before Neo4j 5.23, the procedure can be run only with an admin privilege.
Replaced by ENABLE SERVER.

5.21

dbms.cluster.routing.getRoutingTable()

Replaced by: dbms.routing.getRoutingTable().

5.17

cdc.current() Beta

Replaced by: db.cdc.current()

cdc.earliest() Beta

Replaced by: db.cdc.earliest()

cdc.query() Beta Admin Only

Replaced by: db.cdc.query()

5.13

db.create.setVectorProperty() Beta

Removed in Cypher 25 Replaced by: db.create.setNodeVectorProperty()

5.9

dbms.upgrade() Admin Only

Removed in Cypher 25

dbms.upgradeStatus() Admin Only

Removed in Cypher 25

5.6

dbms.cluster.readReplicaToggle() Admin Only

Removed in Cypher 25 Replaced by: dbms.cluster.secondaryReplicationDisable().

Seed providers

Neo4j 5.26

S3SeedProvider is replaced by the CloudSeedProvider. For more information, see Seed from URI.

SSL framework

Neo4j 5.0

Versions before Neo4j 5.0 allow keys to be stored with the old PKCS #1 standard. You can identify them by the line -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY----- at the beginning of the file. While you can load and use those keys, they are considered deprecated and will be removed in a future version.

Store formats

The high_limit format removal notice

The next Long-Term Support (LTS) release is the final version that supports operations on high_limit databases. After this release, Neo4j will not start if it detects a legacy high_limit store layout.

When planning your infrastructure roadmap, keep the following in mind:

  • Final migration window: Reading, writing, and migrating high_limit databases is only supported up to the next LTS release.

  • No backward compatibility: After the next LTS release, there is no compatibility layer for the high_limit format. Existing high_limit databases will cause a hard block on server startup.

  • Required target format: All high_limit databases must be migrated to the block format before upgrading beyond the upcoming LTS release.

  • Operational guidance: To minimize downtime, it is strongly advised to complete your offline format migrations during, or preferably before, your upgrade to the upcoming LTS release. For details, refer to Store formats → Changing the store format of existing databases.

Neo4j 5.23

standard and high_limit formats are deprecated starting from Neo4j 5.23. See Store formats → Format deprecations for more information.

Glossary

allocator

A component in the cluster that allocates databases to servers according to the topology constraints specified and an allocation strategy.

asynchronous replication

Asynchronous replication is used by secondary copies to poll for new transactions, which means they cannot be guaranteed to have received the most recent transactions. This enables efficient scale-out of read-performance.

Aura instance

A fully-managed DBMS represented by a single instance ID, that is running in the Neo4j Aura cloud.

auto-commit transaction

An automatically committed transaction that contains a single query.

Bolt protocol

Bolt is a protocol used for interaction between Neo4j instances and drivers.

bookmark

A marker the client can request from the cluster to ensure that it is able to read its own writes so that the application’s state is consistent and only databases that have a copy of the bookmark are permitted to respond.

category (Bloom)

A category is based on a node label and is defined in a Perspective as a way of visually distinguishing nodes with the same label(s).

causal consistency

All servers in a cluster agree on the order in which transactions take place. The position of a server on the causal chain can be guaranteed using a bookmark.

cluster

A Neo4j DBMS that spans multiple servers working together to increase fault tolerance and/or read scalability. Databases on a cluster may be configured to replicate across servers in the cluster thus achieving read scalability or high availability.

client application

Software that interacts with a Neo4j server.

commit

A commit is the successful completion of a transaction, which ensures durability of any changes made. For more details, visit Operations Manual → Transaction management.

composite database

Composite databases are the means to access partitioned graph data with a single Cypher query.

constraint

Constraints are sets of data modeling rules that ensure the data is consistent and reliable.

Cypher®

Neo4j’s graph query language.

data model

A data model defines how information is organized in a database. A good data model will make querying and understanding your data easier. In Neo4j, the data models have a graph structure.

database

A database is a container used by the DBMS to manage and store graph data. The physical structure of data is controlled by the database.

database vs graph

Databases are the physical containers of graph data. Graphs are the logical structure of data in Neo4j.

Database Management System

Database Management System, or DBMS, capable of managing multiple databases. A DBMS may run on a single server, or span several servers configured as a cluster.

database schema

The prescribed property existence and datatypes for nodes and relationships.

deallocate

An act of removing a database from a server or a server from a cluster without loss of data or reduced fault tolerance.

degree (of a node)

The number of relationships of a specific node; loops are counted twice.

disaster recovery

A manual intervention to restore availability of a cluster, or databases within a cluster.

driver

A software library that provides access to Neo4j from a particular programming language.

election

In the event that the Raft leader becomes unresponsive, followers automatically trigger an election and vote for a new leader.

entity

A node or a relationship.

expression (Cypher)

A component of a Cypher query which produces values. It may be used in projections, as a predicate, or when setting properties on graph elements.

fabric

Fabric is the architectural design of a unified system that provides a single access point to local or distributed graph data.

fault tolerance

A guarantee that a cluster can maintain a database’s persistence and availability in the event of one or more servers failing.

follower

A primary copy of a database acting as a follower, receives and acknowledges synchronous writes from the leader.

Generative AI (GenAI)

A type of artificial intelligence (AI) system that generates text, images, or other media in response to prompts.

graph

A logical representation of a set of nodes where some pairs are connected by relationships.

index

Data structure that improves read performance of a database.

knowledge graph

A specific type of graph that has an organizing principle so that a user (or a computer system) can reason about the underlying data. The organizing principle provides an additional layer of structure that adds context to support knowledge discovery.

label

Marks a node as a member of a named and indexed subset. A node may be assigned zero or more labels.

leader

A single primary copy of a database is designated as the leader. It receives all write transactions from clients and replicates writes synchronously to followers and asynchronously to secondary copies of the database.

main database

In terms of Neo4j Enterprise Studio, the database(s) containing the user’s data. Can exist in the same Neo4j deployment as the tool asset database.

motif

A description of a specific pattern within a graph.

node

A node represents an entity or discrete object in your graph data model. Nodes can be connected by relationships, hold data in properties, and are classified by labels.

operator

A symbol representing a mathematical or logical operation.

parameter

Named value provided when running a Cypher statement.

path

A sequence of nodes and the relationships connecting them, that does not contain duplicate relationships. Several paths can match a pattern.

pattern

A specific arrangement of nodes and relationships that can be matched in a graph. A pattern follows a motif.

perspective (Bloom)

A Perspective defines a certain business view or domain that can be found in the target Neo4j graph. A single Neo4j graph can be viewed through different Perspectives, each tailored for a different business purpose.

primary

A copy of the database that is able to process write transactions and is eligible to be elected as a leader. It participates in fault tolerant writes as it is part of the majority required to acknowledge and commit write transactions.

primary vs secondary

In a cluster, databases can operate in either primary or secondary mode. Primary databases are able to process write and read transactions, ensuring fault tolerance. Secondary databases are replicated asynchronously from primaries, and their main purpose is to provide read scaling within the cluster.

project (Aura)

An isolated environment in the unified Aura console that contains its own database instances, configurations, and resources. Preceded by tenant in the classic Aura console.

property

Properties are key-value pairs that are used for storing data on nodes and relationships.

query (Cypher)

A statement that retrieves or writes information to a database.

Raft group

A group of servers that are participating in hosting a particular database in primary mode.

Raft group member

A server that is participating in a Raft group. A server can be a member of one or more groups.

Raft log

A shared log between all Raft group members that is guaranteed to be consistently updated and viewed by those members. The log contains both database data and operational state of the Raft group.

Raft protocol

The networking mechanism that enables a database to replicate its data across multiple servers to give high availability for accessing the data and high durability to the data stored.

read scaling

Distributing query load by creating additional database copies hosted in secondary mode (read-only).

relationship

A relationship represents a connection between nodes in your graph data model. Relationships connect a source node to a target node, hold data in properties, and are classified by type.

secondary

An asynchronously replicated copy of the database that provides read scaling within the cluster.

seed

A seed is a database dump or a full backup used to create a database on a cluster. This is sometimes called seeding.

server

A physical machine, a virtual machine, or a container running an instance of Neo4j. Servers can be standalone or part of a cluster.

session

A causally linked sequence of transactions.

session consistency

An alternative name for Neo4j’s causal consistency.

standalone

A single server running Neo4j and not part of a cluster.

synchronous replication

Synchronous replication requires the leader primary to replicate a transaction and block the commit until a quorum of the follower primaries acknowledges that the transaction is successfully replicated. Once the transaction is replicated, the commit is allowed to proceed. This ensures data durability and consistency within the cluster.

system database

A database used by Neo4j to store system information.

tenant (Aura)

An isolated environment in the classic Aura console that contains its own database instances, configurations, and resources. Replaced by project in the unified Aura console.

tool asset database

In terms of Neo4j Enterprise Studio, the database where tools' assets are stored. This can be in the same Neo4j deployment as the main database(s) or in a separate deployment.

topology

A configuration that describes how the copies of a database should be spread across the servers in a cluster, see primary mode and secondary mode.

transaction

A transaction comprises a unit of work performed against a database. It is treated in a coherent and reliable way, independent of other transactions. Transactions comply with the ACID consistency model (atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable).